Heat exchangers may be used for a variety of applications and may encompass a number of different forms. By way of example only, oil coolers for internal combustion engines often take the form of an elongate housing which surrounds a tube bundle of substantially discrete heat exchange tubes. The tubes are often packed in a generally hexagonal pattern such that each tube is surrounded by up to six other tubes. Of course, other patterns may also be utilized. The tube bundle is installed through heat conducting fins and/or flow-directing baffles, and may be supported by the baffles and the conducting fins that are arranged in the housing to create a serpentine flow path between an inlet to the housing and an outlet.
Exemplary prior heat exchange devices are illustrated and described in U.S. Pat. No. 7,243,711 to Amstutz et al. having an issue date of Jul. 17, 2007. Embodiments of heat exchangers disclosed in this reference have a construction adapted to provide highly efficient cooling. In particular, this reference discloses a heat exchanger having a housing which defines a heat exchanging cavity within which a tube bundle is positioned. The tube bundle is made of a plurality of tubes arranged in a defined pattern. A disclosed embodiment utilizes an arrangement of baffles to support the tube bundle. The tube bundle, baffles and the housing define a serpentine flow path between an inlet and an outlet. The serpentine flow path includes a plurality of segments that are generally perpendicular to the tubes. These segments are separated by flow direction changing windows. At the flow direction changing windows, the tube bundle is separated from the housing by a gap distance which is relatively large. At positions removed from the flow direction changing windows, the tube bundle is separated from the housing by a substantially smaller gap distance. The ends of the housing are plugged by conventional techniques such as end structures of a resilient material surrounding the tubes of the tube bundle and extending to the housing. This arrangement is adapted to seal the heat exchange chamber against leakage when subjected to internal operating pressures. However, as internal pressures and/or gap distances are increased, sealing may become more difficult. Accordingly, a construction which provides support to the end structure within zones between the tube bundle and the housing while maintaining a good sealing relation is desirable.